Hammock



H. MINTZ.

HAMMOCK.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 8. 1920.

1,387,801 Patented Aug. 16, 1921 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HAMMOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 16, 1921.

Application filed October 8, 1920. Serial No. 415,542.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY MINTZ, citizen of the United States, andresident of Mattapan, in the county of Sufl'olk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Hammocks, ofwhich,

the following is a specification.

This invention relates to hammocks and more particularly to that typecommonly known as couch hammocks and which according to the usualconstruction comprise essentially a cushioned seat or frame having itsends supported by flexible suspension members.

In hammocks of this type the flexible end suspension members whichusually consist of strips of textile fabric such as canvas or the like,are suitably connected at their upper ends to rigid bars, to which areattached chains or other means by which the hammock is suspended from anelevated support. To the lower edgesof these fabric strips the hammockframe is commonly directly attached. As usually constructed the rigidsupporting bars are substantially straight from end to end. When thehammock frame is subjected to load, as by the seating of a persontherein, it is found usually that it sags slightly in a front to reardirection, whereby the load, which theoretically is carried in a uniformmanner by the textile end suspension member is brought to bear upon thelatter adjacent the central portion thereof alone. This causes excessivestrain upon the central portion of the textile material, occasioningrapid wear and failure of the same.

An object of the present invention is to so arrange the various parts asto provide for substantially uniform distribution of the load strainover the entire area of the suspension strip. To this end it is proposedto form the rigid bar upon which such strip is mounted with a curvedupper surface the curvature of which will be determined in such a manneras to provide for substantial that known mathematically as a catenary,that is, to say the curve assumed by a theoretically perfectly flexibleand weightless cordwhen suspended by its ends between two supports.

In hammocks of the above type as commonly constructed and as hereinabove referred to, the end supporting bars are commonly formed witha-substantially straight or flat upper surface. The bars as thus formedare found to be very uncomfortable as arm rests when so employed by theuser of the hammock, and it is desirable to arrange an end bar so thatits upper surface may conform to the contour of the forearm of the userof the hammock, thus rendering the same more suitable as an arm rest.This may be accomplished in substantially the same manner as is theobject above, it being found that the curvature of the up er surface ofthe bar such as to provide tiie uniform tension desirable in theflexible end suspension member, sufliciently approximates the contour ofthe human arm as to make the bar so constructed acceptable as an armrest.

Hammocks of this type as commonly constructed have the flexible endsupporting member supported upon the end suspension bars by theprovision of an elongated pocket or hem in the upper edge of theflexible member, such pocket or hem serving to receive and inclose thebar. It is desirable however, to have the ends of the bar inclosed aswell as the side portions thereof, and further that such end closingmeans appear substantially like that of the material forming the pocket.

An object of the present invention is to provide for concealing the endsof the bar exposed by the open ends of the ocket, such closing meansbeing of a simp e character readily constructed and such as will notdetract from the appearance of the hammock.

To this end it is proposed to provide caps of afabric similar to thatemployed for the end suspension members and to slip such caps over theends of the supporting bars, the edges of the caps lying beneath theends of the pockets in the suspension members and being secured in anydesirable manner thereto or to the end bars.

As a convenient mode of carrying into effect the above objects, thearrangement disclosed in the accompanying drawings may be employed, itbeing understood however,

that this is merely illustrative of one of the many wa sin which suchobjects may be accomplished.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is an end elevation of a hammockembodying the present invention, parts being broken away for clearnessof illustration, and

Fig. 2 is a detail to enlarged scale, illustrating the end of one of thesupporting bars and the manner of covering the same.

1 indicates the framewhich may as usual be of angle iron or othersuitable stifiand relatively light material. Upon this frame issupported the mattress 2 and rising from the frame at each end are lugs3 to which may be connected links as 4, 5, serving to support a backframe 6 carrying the back cushion 7. The structure thus far described issubstantially in accordance with that disclosed in the patent to Mintz,1,308,096 filed July 1, 1919, although the exact arrangement andconstruction of the frame and back rest is not essential to the carryinginto effect of the present invention. 1

The end'members of the frame 1 are sup ported in the usual manner bymeans of flexible strips of material preferably of textile fabric suchas indicated at 8. These textile strips having the frame suspended attheir lower edges are supported at their upper edges upon rigidsupporting bars such as indicated at 9. The bars 9 may have staples oreyes 10, 11, secured thereto, to which the ends of chains 12, 13 may beattached, the upper ends of these chains being fastened to a ring 14 orother suitable device. For supporting the adjustableback rest inposition a chain 15 may be employed as in the patent above referred to.

In order to compensate for the irregular strains which may be imposedupon the fabric strips due to the springing of the frame 1 when loaded,the upper surfaces of the bars 9 are provided with a downwardly concavecurvature as indicated at 16. The curvature of the upper surface of thebar will preferably take the form of a catenary or of a curve ofgenerally similar type, it being found that a curve of this form isespecially well adapted to distribute the strains uniformly throughoutthe length of the fabric when the latter is subjected to a centrallydisposed load such-as is imposed thereupon when a person reclines in thehammock. While a curve of this type is particularly desirable, it is notto be understood that curves of other forms may not be employed, as anycurvature of the upper surface of the bar, such as to assist indistributing the strains uponthe fabric may, it is contemplated, beemployed without departing from the spirit 7 of the present invention.

From the foregoing it will be evident that the verticaldistances'between the ends of frame 1 and the top bars 9 are reducedvirtue of their reduced dimensions the end bars of frame 1 will sag lessin the middle. This is advantageous not only for mechanical reasons butalso because the fabric ends 8 are subjected to less oblique strains andtherefore present a smoother appearance than when the ends of frame 1sag in the middle.

While the upper surface of the bar need not necessarily be parallel tothe lower surface thereof, it is found convenient in practice to makethe bar of substantially uniform cross section from end to end, thelower surface thereof between points such as 17, 18, adjacent the endsof the bar, being curved downwardly as indicated at 19 and lyingsubstantially parallel to the upper surface thereof. As a convenientmode of securing the fabric strips to the bar, the fabric strip may beprovided with a longitudinally extending pocket at 20, such pockettaking the form of a hem formed by turning the edge of the fabric overand uniting the edge to the'main body of the fabric by lines of stitchesas indicated at 21. Other modes of securing the fabric to the bar may,however, be employed if desired, such for example as by the use ofmetallic fasteners or clamping devices.

When, as herein shown, the bar is of substantial cross section, it isparticularly desirable that the end of the pocket be provided with somemeans for covering and concealing the end of the bar. Such means may, ifdesired, take the form of a cap 22, preferably of textile fabric of asimilar texture and color to that employed for the fabric supportingstrip 8. Such cap may be produced by folding the fabric as indicated at23 and the cap thus formed will be slipped over the end of the bar withits free edges underlying the end'portion of' the pocket, and secured inany desired manner thus,

fully concealing the end of the bar from vlew.

Having thus described a preferred form of the invention and the mode ofemployment of the same, what I claim and desire to secure by LettersPatent of the United States is:

1. A hammock of the class described comprising 'a seat frame and an endbar, a strip of fabric secured to said frame at the bottom and to saidbar at the top, and said bar having a downwardly curved central portionwhereby the vertical dimension of said fabric is greater at the endsthan at the central portion. I

2. A hammock .of the class described com- Ill prising a seat frame andan end bar, a strip of fabric secured to said frame at the bottom, andhaving at its top a pocket adapted to receive said bar, and said barhaving a downwardly curved central portion whereby the verticaldimension of said fabric is greater at the ends than at the centralportion.

3. A hammock of the class described comprising a seat frame and anend'bar. a strip of fabric secured to said frame at the bot tom and tosaid bar at the top, and said bar.

having end portions substantially parallel with said frame, and adownwardly curved central portion whereby the vertical dimension of saidfabric is greater at the ends than at the central portion.

4. A hammock of the class described comprising a seat frame and an endbar, suspension means secured to said bar adjacent the ends thereofwhereby the central portion of said bar is unobstructed, a strip offabric secured to said seat frame at the bottom and to said bar at thetop, and said bar having a downwardlv curved central portion whereby thevertical dimension of said fabric is greater at its ends than at thecentral portion. 4

5. In a hammock device in combination a supporting bar, a fabric striphaving a longitudinal open-ended pocket within which said bar isinclosed, and a fabric cap having an open end, said cap beingconstructed and arranged to be slipped over an end of said bar and tohave its free edges concealed from view by the end portion of saidpocket.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts this 6th day of October 1920.

HARRY MINTZ.

